Messhof has a point to prove with this sequel to the cult classic two-player duel ’em up.
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We love couch multiplayer games. Few things in life offer as much joy as inviting a friend over, getting comfortable on the sofa, firing up one of the five games we always keep installed, and then absolutely smashing our unsuspecting guest.
Nidhogg was our favourite game in the genre released back in 2014 to the extent that this reviewer declared it his game of the year. Nearly everything in it was perfect and each part complimented the others. So suffice to say that with Messhof finally releasing a sequel the pressure was truly on when we fired up our review copy of Nidhogg 2. During our playtime towards penning this review we, as is the case with most sequels to beloved games, first had to go through the five stages of sequel acceptance:
Denial: This can’t really be the new art-style they went with? Anger: The weapon handling and hit detection isn’t as solid and tight as it was in the first. Bargaining: Well the main pillars are the same, while more weapons add variety and there are more levels this time around. Depression: The online multiplayer is still wonky and laggy at times. Acceptance: So it’s not just more of the same, Messhof has actually taken the core mechanics and then built upon them giving the game a whole new identity of its own.
So with that out of the way we can actually roll back and start this review again from an informed and level-headed standpoint hopefully unfiltered by fanboyism.
First the basics: What is Nidhogg 2? Like its predecessor, it’s a 1v1 fencing tug-of-war game where each player tries to kill their opponent to earn the right of way, then runs to the edge of the screen to reach the next stage of the level, and eventually the “winner” screen where they will then promptly be eaten by the giant worm Nidhogg, all while trying to not lose their life and progress past a continually respawning adversary. It’s a simple concept that then gets more complex through weapon positioning, environmental hazards, and the addition of an expanded arsenal of weapons.
The first thing returning players will immediately react to is the vastly altered art-style. Gone is the minimalistic, dreary yet oddly compelling aesthetic style of the original, now replaced with colourful cartoonish characters almost reminiscent of claymation, here battling in front of a slew of intricate and colorful backdrops that each tell us the lore of the world. These are no longer face- and featureless characters dueling in disconnect with their environment. So much so that before each match players go through a character customisation screen, selecting their colour and choosing from a range of clothing and hairstyle options.
While it took us a fair amount of time to adjust to the absence of the familiar Atari-esque aesthetics we knew and loved before the more vibrant and bubble gum feel of this sequel, we have to say we really grew to like it. There is now a distinct feeling of a thought out universe, although the focus is still very much on the actual gameplay.
The second big addition to the game is the new weapons and the slight rock, paper, scissors aspect of how they interact. The classic rapier is of course still the mainstay with its three heights of blocking and stabbing. The additions are the dagger, which behaves similarly to the rapier but with what feels like a slightly faster response time; the devastating but slower broadsword with two stances and an unblockable blow; and finally the more lackluster bow with its ranged attack. Each weapon counters better against a specific weapon, but the advantage is not strong enough that you’ll get stuck in a death loop waiting for the correct weapon to spawn.
There are ten levels on offer that are selected from a beautiful and oddly nostalgic world map. Each has a unique setting and look, ranging from updated takes on the four maps of the original, to a perilous winter level, an underground night club, and our personal favourite, a swamp where you start the fight in front of a giant psychedelic tree and then make your way through the digestive system of a Nidhogg worm (all to a soothing reggae beat). The soundtrack has also adapted, foregoing the procedurally adapting soundscape of Daedelus and in turn relying heavily on more upbeat tracks from Mux Mool and others, but it works perfectly, amplifying the experience, and we guarantee that after a lengthy session one or more of the songs will get stuck in your head.
In terms of modes, true to the original there isn’t a huge amount of variety, rather there are a couple of choices as to how and who you want to play with. Arcade mode is the single-player portion where you take on an ever-smartening AI with a gradually growing arsenal across all ten maps. A run will take about 20 minutes and although entertaining for short periods, it’s really a glorified tutorial for getting ready to take on another human.
Local is the main mode and it’s where the game really shines. Despite feeling slightly less polished than the original, making it more casual and resulting in more “WTF!” exclamations, in the end it results in more fun. The way every single game plays out differently, from a clean sweep to an endless back and forth encapsulates perfectly the brilliance of couch multiplayer. There will be laughter, screaming, and a broken controller or two, but most importantly there will be fun in abundance (especially with the option of setting up a tournament with up to eight people).
To aid with variety there is the option to adjust rulesets for matches including a time limit that leads to sudden death, weapon order, and various game-changing “cheats” that help keep things fresh. So for the purists out there, you can set up a game with the old school settings and even earn an achievement while you’re at it.
Online also makes a return with an optional ranked mode but sadly, as was the case with the original, we had some issues with netcode leading to occasional and annoying lag. But then again, for us, a big part of our enjoyment of Nidhogg 2 is to have our opponent sitting right next to us, so we can witness their despair first hand and watch all hope of success drain from their eyes as their character explodes with guts and body parts strewn across the horizon.
While largely great, Nidhogg 2 isn’t perfect and it does suffer from several small issues. We’ve come to thoroughly enjoy the new aesthetics of the environments, although we still think the characters themselves are a bit bland to look at. Mastering each weapon was a treat, although the bow feels nearly useless against a skilled player and the broadsword can hit through the environment, killing a player standing on a ledge above you. The levels have more stages to pass through, but in turn respawning takes longer. There is no map vote or random map selection but in turn that makes level selection into its own mini-game of fastest fingers first. Keyboard controls in the menus can be cumbersome with different buttons performing the same or alternating functions, but then again why on Earth aren’t you playing with a controller?
The inevitable question is of course: is this sequel better than the original? Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear answer to that. It improves on the first game on several fronts, with more variety and more inviting (albeit mainstream) aesthetics, although purists will find fault in its laxer hit detection and the at times unfair respawns.
As we wrote at the start of this review, we have a selection of five games that await anyone brave enough to challenge us to some local multiplayer. Nidhogg, Duck Game, TowerFall Ascension, Gang Beasts, and YamaYama. Is Nidhogg 2 good enough to replace one of those games? Sadly the answer to that question is no. However, we reckon it might be time to bend the rules and expand the roster and perma-install a sixth friendship-destroying couch multiplayer game on our system at home.
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Keyword: Nidhogg 2